Jackie our reporter shares advice on the DVLA

Jackie our reporter shares advice on the DVLA, which has applied new rules for car drivers approaching 70 years of age. Once you've turned 70, you'll need to renew your licence every three years.

You won't need a doctor's note; you will need to complete a medical self-assessment; a series of simple questions about your health and any medical conditions that may impact your driving ability.

How do over 70s renew their driving licence?

The DVLA will send you a D46P application form 90 days before your 70th birthday, and then every three years afterwards. Complete the form and return it to the DVLA.

If you haven't got the D46P form, you can use a 'D1 application for a driving licence form', which you can pick up from a Post Office. Once the DVLA is in receipt of your completed application, you may drive while the application is processed.

Protect yourself against the rising cost of insurance.

Inordinate increases in car insurance premiums. statistical risk increases for older drivers.

The 2022 cost of an average policy was £434. By 2023, the average was £543. Compare the Market website say the 2024 cost has risen by 46 per cent, taking, they say, a typical annual premium to £892.The Association of British Insurers say the average premium paid has risen by 25 per cent. Some of the increase has been explained by the withdrawal of the practice of offering discounts to new customers.

There is anecdotal evidence (BBC Radio Four Money Box) that insurance companies will deem you a significantly greater risk at 80 than you were at 79 and raise your premium accordingly. The paradox is that older people typically have safer driving habits; they drive shorter distances, at safer times of the day and much less at night. These are the driving habits 'encouraged' by telematics or black-box insurance as described below.

Whatever age you have reached, several strategies may assist you in obtaining a competitive motor insurance quote.

First things first; never automatically renew your cover.

Limit your mileage; The primary risk factor for being in an incident is the number of hours on the road. If a lifestyle change - retirement for example - has reduced your annual recorded mileage, highlight the change by...

Checking out a few comparison sites. Fewer miles mean you're a lower risk, so you should be cheaper to insure. The mileage recorded on your MOTs is a sound basis for estimating annual mileage for a current policy.

Things you can do.

·       Name an experienced additional driver with a clean licence on your policy and bring your premiums down.

·       Get a quote up to 28 days ahead. This one makes a difference; just like Airline tickets, buying early or more accurately - securing a quote early-doors - will save your pocket. You can buy four weeks before the policy start date and 'lock in' and retrieve the quoted price from that day.

·       Pay annually rather than monthly instalments.

·       A clean licence and a maximum no-claims discount will keep costs down, so drive carefully.

·       Find out how much a higher voluntary excess reduces the premium.

·       Don't commit to unnecessary add-ons; legal assistance, courtesy car cover, windscreen cover etc. Only pay for what you need.

·       Some things are a matter of choice. Small engine sizes tend to have lower premiums, but engine size, along with payment for no-claims-bonus protection and Telematics car insurance are matters of choice, circumstance and preference.

Astronomical premiums have forced young drivers towards telematics insurance. It remains to be seen if older drivers are driven to respond in a similar fashion to higher premiums. If you can tolerate the intrusion and control - black boxes penalise driving at night and reward low annual mileage - they may work for you.

It is validly argued that in the case of a collision, the black box data can provide invaluable evidence of fault, thus avoiding expensive 'he-said-she-said' scenarios. However, a dashcam will do the same while avoiding the stringent rules attached to telematics. As an alternative way to protect your no-claims bonus, fitting a dashcam should settle issues of blame and therefore liability if an accident occurs.